Imidacloprid is compatible with control provided by the predator Jalysus wickhami Van Duzee (Hemiptera: Berytidae) in flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Jalysus wickhami Van Duzee is the most abundant predator in North Carolina flue-cured tobacco production but information on the effect of contemporary pest management practices and interactions with other arthropods is lacking. We measured the effect of systemic imidacloprid on J. wickhami in field experiments during 2015 and 2016 by surveying its abundance, the abundance of its prey; the pests Heliothis virescens (Fabricus), Manduca sexta L., and Manduca quinquemaculata (Haworth, 1803); and other predatory arthropods in the agro-ecosystem. Systemic imidacloprid applications did not reduce J. wickhami abundance nor increase the abundance of H. virescens, M. sexta, and M. quinquemaculata, indicating natural control was not affected. J. wickhami abundance was positively correlated with the abundance of prey and predators from another feeding guild, suggesting species interactions have significant implications for the predators.